The invention resides in an explosion protection for a gas turbo machine which includes a turbine housing completely enclosing a turbine wheel, wherein the explosion protection comprises a structure of several layers of a material with high rupturing strength. The invention also resides in a gas turbo machine with a turbine housing which fully surrounds a turbine wheel rotatably supported in the housing and which is provided with explosion protection. The invention is also concerned with a combustion engine and a gas turbo machine.
Modern high-power gas turbo machines, for example exhaust gas turbochargers of internal combustion engines often present a risky to the ambient area in case of failure of their rotating parts. In particular, in uses where persons may be in close proximity of such machines, it must be ensured that, upon failure of such a machine, all fragments and, if applicable, secondary fragment parts are completely and safely captured.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,837 discloses a multi-layer explosion protection structure wherein a steel plate with a heat insulating material disposed therein is mounted in spaced relationship around a turbine housing and mounted to a spiral part of the turbine housing. It is however a disadvantage of the explosion protection provided thereby that it surrounds only a 120° area of the spiral section of the housing.
DE 196 654 A1 disclose an explosion protection disposed on the outside of a gas inlet housing of a radial turbine for a turbocharger which is in the form of a spiral sheet metal housing and is removably connected to the gas inlet housing via several screws. Also such an explosion protection may, with a loss of the housing, be effective only in a very limited way since it is mounted to the housing.
DE 102 20 573 C1 discloses an explosion protection consisting of an insulation structure, including a first and a second metal sheet, which is glued onto the housing of a turbine. The metal sheet is herein limited to an angular area which corresponds to the main energy emission area of the exploding turbine.
An explosion protection is also known from DE 10 2004 018 987 A1 of the Assignee of the present application which consists of a textile material of high strength and which forms a closed ring surrounding the turbine housing. The side walls of the explosion protection may consist of metal sheets of high rupture strength. Such an explosion protection is quite suitable for providing all around protection from an exploding turbine but improvements in providing overall and lasting protection of an exploding turbine are still possible.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an explosion protection and a gas turbine as well as an internal combustion engine wherein, in case of an explosion of a turbine, an overall and lasting protection is ensured. In particular, the explosion protection structure should consist of a material of improved rupture strength or it should have a structure which is suitable to improve the rupture strength thereof.